The U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime’s goal for this solicitation is to foster innovation that will support efforts of a tribal community to expand current crime victim assistance programs or models to address the complex, longer-term challenges many victims face. Consequently, this solicitation offers tribes an opportunity to address underlying factors such as poverty, historical trauma, substance abuse, health disparities, and lack of economic and educational opportunities that may contribute to the cycle of violence in a community and prevent the provision of trauma-informed, culturally appropriate services to victims and their families. It also recognizes the importance of building on the inherent strengths and resilience of tribal culture and traditions to develop longer-term holistic strategies to address crime in Indian Country. OVC believes that focusing on individual and community wellness may offer a more sustainable approach to addressing the long-term, complex needs of victims and survivors. This solicitation seeks innovative proposals from tribes or tribal nonprofit organizations to develop a community wellness, victim-centered strategy that includes a Community Wellness Center as a central organizing force within the tribal jurisdiction. This Community Wellness Center would offer, coordinate, or foster access to a continuum of resources and services that promote victim and community wellness, including a full range of intervention, treatment, health and wellness, prevention, educational and economic development, and cultural resources for the community. This solicitation recognizes there is no single “tribal” model or best practice that is appropriate for all tribes, and that each tribal community must develop its own plan to address violence and victimization.

Amount: Up to three awards will be made, of no more than $660,000 each, for up to 5 years.

Eligibility: Federally recognized Indian tribal governments, as determined by the Secretary of the Interior, may apply. This includes Alaska Native villages and tribal consortia consisting of two or more federally recognized Indian tribes. Tribal designees are also eligible to apply.

Note: The deadline to register in the Grants Management System (GMS) is June 16, 2014 and the deadline to apply for funding under this announcement is July 15, 2014.